Quote:
Originally Posted by ajvw
I think some mantids turn brown when fall is approaching, whereas they are green in summer. Matt, is this true?
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Well...sorta. It has more to do with age and randomness than anything else. Some species of mantid can come in more than one color (shades of green, grey, and brown being popular). The young mantids are all the same color, but as they mature some will be green and some will be brown. Considering the closer to fall you are the more they're maturing, you could be right in a way.
As for Moogle's question...there are a variety of mantid species in the US. Carolina mantids can be both brown or green, with males almost always being brown and females being either color (I've personally never seen a green one of this species).
Chinese mantids are also common in the US. They can be brown, tan, grey, or green. These ones get considerably larger than the Carolinas, topping out at 4-5 inches or so. Young ones are distinguishable from Carolina mantids by their incomplete wings (only adults have full wings) and the shape of the abdomen and head.
In comparison to the above Carolina mantid, here are some Chinese mantids:
Adult female; considerably larger than the Carolina. The first one is on a paper-towel roll, and the second on my hand.
A male brown and green
Carolina mantid, showing the wide, but short head and a size-comparison to a superworm:
A grey-brown female
Chinese mantid, with a more evenly triangular head and compared to another superworm:
The abdomen of a female Carolina mantid is noticeably wide (as in Moog's photo) compared to a Chinese. Brown Carolinas also have a mottled pattern that Chinese lack. A brown Chinese will usually retain a green stripe on the side of each wing covert (as seen in my last photo). Male mantids of any species typically have longer antennae (compare my male to Moog's female) and are typically thinner as adults. The wings of a Carolina mantid don't reach the end of the abdomen either, and a Chinese mantid's do. Carolina's also have a more stick-like pro-thorax (the long thin part that holds the "claws"), while Chinese mantids have wider "shoulders".
Hopefully that helps
It's a real shame they only live a year. At her size I only had her for two months, at most. She was a good breeder though.
